I looked at myself at the mirror today and it really sunk it. I have to do something different. It’s time for extreme weight loss. I’ve tried counting calories. I trained for a half-marathon. I’ve cut fats and carbs and switched to mostly organic foods, but I’m not getting anywhere. I am never going to get to my ideal weight unless I completely change the framework of how I am thinking and acting.
I’ve only been back in Oklahoma City for a few days. The sad fact is, there isn’t a lot going on here. Eating is probably the single most popular form of entertainment. Unfortunately, the quality of food is not very high and tastes trend towards burgers, pizza and any kind of animal or vegetable that can be deep fried. I have to admit that I’ve even eaten a chicken fried steak. I haven’t eaten a chicken fried steak in years.
I feel polluted.
And the bad stuff is everywhere. There isn’t a Whole Foods or similar health-focused grocery store anywhere in the city. The grocery stores here haven’t advanced much since the 1950’s. Most of them have huge meat smokers outside the front doors and I have always associated shopping for food with that smoked meat smell. If you drive anywhere, you are going to pass at least 20 fast food joints. I grew up on this stuff, and I have to admit it’s tough to resist the temptation at times.
Your surroundings affect you whether you want to admit it or not. I know if I don’t establish a mental framework, I will easily slip back into my old way of thinking, acting and eating.
I am going to devote the next several months of my life to Extreme Weight Loss. I’ve even written it down on a card and taped it to my bathroom mirror. It sounds like a Mountain Dew slogan and I don’t know why I have fixated on it. But I am gearing up to do something extreme… something outside the social norm.
“Extreme weight loss†sounds scary and dangerous. I know. And it can be dangerous and destructive. We have all heard horror stories about someone going on an extreme weight loss diet. They lose a ton of weight through diet pills or eating nothing but cabbage soup and then gain back twice as much. This is not what I’m talking about.
I don’t have trouble maintaining my weight. Even when I go through periods of lots of socializing (i.e. drinking lots of alcohol), I can keep my weight within a 3 pound window without even trying. This is even easier when I’m in Austin and there are a lot of healthy food options. But maintaining weight and LOSING weight are 2 different things.
So I am gearing myself up for an intense period of time in which my sole focus is on getting in shape (in addition to the work project which is why I’m here in the first place). I still have a little bit of research left to do on how exactly I’m going to do this, but it will be a little more intense than the Hacker’s Diet but not quite as crazy as an extreme weight loss fast.
Optifast is sounding really good. I’ve been reading up a little more on Optifast. I did read some more about Kevin Smith and learned that he has apparently put all the weight back on and then some. In one of his podcasts he mentioned a friend that was on a similar weight loss program but it was one that included one “real food†meal a day. That guy apparently was able to ease back into a normal diet and didn’t put any weight back on. If there’s anybody who has an idea of what this program is, I would be interested in hearing about it. The other problem I have with Optifast is that it requires a clinic and there isn’t one remotely close to where I am.
I’m not interested in doing anything dangerous. “Extreme Weight Loss†is more of a mantra that I’ve chosen for myself and one that is going to guide me for the next few months. The next few months are geared towards burning fat, building muscle and losing weight. Then I will tear up my Extreme Weight Loss index card and replace it with something else. This probably sounds goofy, but this is part of changing my mindset more than anything else.
If anybody has some great extreme weight loss tips, I would love to hear them!
